Way Back Wednesday in Calhoun County---May 3-9

This week in the Way Back Wednesday in Calhoun County blog for May 3-9, we look back at some of the families that opened businesses in early Anniston. Remember to click on the links in the blog to see many of the photos seen in Images of America series books: Anniston Revisited, Anniston, or Calhoun County. We would like to thank Couch’s Jewelers for hosting the Anniston Revisited Book Signing for the April Mainstreet Makers Market.

Upcoming Event: We will be participating in the May Makers Market in Downtown Anniston on the fourth Friday of the month (May 26th). Check our website events page and on Facebook for more information on the location for this month’s Anniston Revisited event.

May 3, 1900: Anniston, AL. Rund’s dry goods store at 1030 Noble advertised that shirts, waists, and other ready to wear garments were available for purchase. The Rund family which included Samuel J., his wife Celia, and brother-in-law Samuel I., came to Anniston in the early days after the town opened to the public. This German-Jewish family opened the dry goods store soon after arriving in Anniston. Even after the store closed, the family remained in town with Samuel J. and Celia passing away in the 1930s. Samuel I. remained in Anniston with a real estate business until his death in the 1950s.

May 4, 1919 Anniston, AL. The Malone-Woodruff Company at 1112-1114 Noble announced the arrival of their spring and summer men’s, women, and children’s wear. The business was managed by J. W. Malone, a native of Tennessee, during its operation. The business, under various names lasted for 20 years in Anniston, until May 1924. Malone discovered that the building owned by R. N. Garner was leased to another merchant. This Noble Street location was later occupied by Berman’s.

May 5, 1955: Anniston, AL . Sears, Roebuck, and Co. advertised their women’s sun back dress for five dollars and fresh orchids, both single and double bloom, especially for Mother’s day. Sears had opened in Anniston in the early 20th Century but stayed just a short time. The company returned to Anniston in 1940 and remodeled the Constantine Building on the corner of 10th and Noble Streets. The Constantine Building was built by Major D. F. Constantine in 1887. It is currently the home to Western Auto.

May 6, 1928: Anniston, AL. George Cater Furniture Company, at 15 East 10th Street, advertised summer porch swings and Majestic refrigerators for sale. The company occupied the former Knox Building around 1917. The building had been built in 1907 and occupied by T. S. Bagley Undertakers and a City Grocery. The building is presently occupied by Couch’s Jewelers.

May 7, 1937: Anniston, AL. The Anniston Star sold for 5 cents a day or 20 cents for a week delivered by carrier. The Anniston Star was not the first newspaper published in Anniston. Anniston had newspapers as early as 1873. The Anniston Star came from the merger of several newspapers including The Hot Blast, The Anniston Evening Star, The Anniston Watchman, and The Republic. In 1910, Harry Ayers and Thomas Kilby bought The Republic. In 1912, Ayers bought additional newspapers and The Anniston Star was born.

May 8, 1940: Anniston, AL. Berman’s Cash and Carry announced it was closing at 1014 Noble Street due to the building being leased to someone else. Berman had cut prices to move out of the building quickly so the sale would take place on May 9th. In the 1930s and 1940s, Jacob Berman operated two businesses on Noble, his cash and carry store in the 1000 Block of Noble and his department store in the 1100 block of Noble. The department store survived for most of the century but the cash and carry store did not.

May 9, 1957: Anniston, AL. Kwik Chek advertised the weekly sales included chuck roast for 29 cents a pound, 5 pounds of sugar for 39 cents, and eggs for 45 cents a dozen. The grocery chain had stores at 601 Main Street in Oxford, 12th and Gurnee, and 17th and Noble. Kwik Chek was a forerunner of the modern Winn-Dixie stores in the area. The stores did not adopt the Winn-Dixie name until the mid-1950s.